Pros: Excellent signage, not crowded (I'm from Southern California, so this is big for me), and easily one of the most challenging courses I've ever played.

I'd say I'm an advanced amateur, so it was great to test my skills on this course that demands A LOT out of it's players hole after hole after hole to the tune of 10,000'. The pros make this course look so much easier than it really is. My thought is that for my group level and open players this course is awesome. For beginners? Not so much. But that's one of the great things about this course, this is a PLAYERS course - so more than likely you're not going to be playing through multiple families of 8 where each person is holding one disc.

Cons: I've heard the wind can be a factor here since it's pretty wide open. The day my wife and I played BL we had great weather. It was the end of the day in summer and there wasn't much wind, which was great. No rain either actually, so the weather wasn't a factor for us. I've heard the wind can howl out there, so I'd imagine this would make this course, which is already a BEAST, that much tougher.

This being said I'm not sure I'd call this a 'con' per se, just something to be aware of.

What people might not know about the OB on this course is that (at least in the summer), the blackberry thorns are SUPER pokey and (what seems like) everywhere. I thought it was all just tall grass when I was watching Worlds (not that those guys threw in the OB as much as I do). Lose your disc and if you're not wearing tall socks (I wasn't), prepare for some scratched up ankles if you're gonna be digging around. I'm not sure how much of a 'Con' this is though, just beware of this.

Other Thoughts: As long as this course was and as tough as it was, I REALLY do look forward to the opportunity to throw here again. When we're back in Portland, this is the course that I'll be looking forward to playing. Probably even more so than Pier Park. I can honestly say that even months after playing our round here I thought about different things I could do on different holes, and to me, when a course makes you question your game and approach to a course, that course is great. I don't give it a 5 only because there's still a lot of courses I want to play that I've heard great things about. Maybe I"ll change my rating after then, but until then, I tell ever serious disc golfer I know that if they're in Portland they NEED to play this course.

Pros: Oh, Blue Lake. What can be said about you that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing. But I'm going to review you anyway. Blue Lake is every bit the course that earned its fame during Worlds. But a lot has already been said about this place (and just about everyone has watched the final round and playoff between McBeth and Wysocki), so I'm just going to get to it:

Equipment - Impeccable. The blue tees are all in great shape. Almost all of the baskets are still in like new condition. The only one that showed damage looked like it had been climbed on, but it wasn't askew enough to complain about. Every hole has a concrete tee, a bench, and a sign for the blue tee. The reds were unmarked and seemed to be added as afterthoughts, but you're playing Blue Lake. Play the blues the first time. Don't bother with reds unless you're playing here regularly and want a change of pace.

Navigation - As I just stated, there is plenty of signage. There is also a kiosk by hole 1 with a full map and thank yous to their sponsors.

Design - The designer of this course took everything into account. You have a few short-ish holes on the front nine, and then the holes that make this a world-caliber course kick in. If you're looking for somewhere to air it out, Blue Lake is it. But placement is also more important here than any other course I've played (except Trojan of course). You need every shot that you know at some point on this course, and you just might find yourself throwing one that you don't. I know I did at least with some sort of "get out of trouble" tomahawk/forehand roller that didn't make sense (and somehow worked one time). Besides distance and placement, the player is also required to throw through moderately wooded areas and across creeks and ravines. I hear that it isn't as much of a problem in the summer, but there's a wind blowing off of the Columbia and straight in the face of holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 18. This really affected a lot of drives, approaches and putts as well, and really made me think about my approach differently than I otherwise would have. This coupled with the insane amounts of OB on the course really pushes the player to be creative and to learn their disc's flight in its entirety. This might be maddening at first, but it helps you to improve. I've said it before in other reviews: Any course that forces you to improve as a player is a course worth playing.

Locals - I only met one other person on the course, but he was friendly. We played a couple of holes together before he went on ahead to meet someone, but he gave some pointers and a general idea of the layout before he left. I get the idea that this course is far too tough to ever be packed, but any time you get to play with a helpful local you at least have to give them a shout-out.

Cons: There aren't a ton of real cons to be found here. I found myself questioning why I play disc golf before I even reached hole 9, but the course can't be faulted for that. Not really. If you had heard me you might have thought that I faulted the course, but that's what golf is all about, right? Swearing in the woods?

Equipment - I have to really stretch for any "equipment" cons. Here goes: The benches are short. Yep. There's your con. Short benches.

Navigation - Without the map I would have gotten lost after a couple of the holes. The teepads are well marked, but the baskets aren't numbered and don't have any tape or signage pointing you to the next tee. The walkouts from 4 to 5 and 16 to 17 were the only ones I had to use the map for.

Design - The OB is simply maddening. I don't even want to know how many strokes I lost because a great shot landed 3' OB (and never crossed "fair territory"). I even skipped a perfect upshot 1' before the basket and lost a stroke because OB was right behind it. Is any of this a bad thing? Nope. It makes you better. But man it can ruin your day. So if you're a sensitive disc golfer? Go to Rockwood and throw putter rounds. Blue Lake isn't for you.

I mentioned the red tees being an afterthought already. That seems to be the case on most good courses that I've played. It makes sense. But I think Blue Lake might bring in a bit more foot traffic if they made it apparent where those red tees even are. I'm fine playing blues, but I know a lot of more casual golfers who won't play this tough of a course without a lighter option (on the same course). Maybe that means they shouldn't be playing there in the first place, but I think they should have the option. Take Bud Pell in Silverdale, WA as a prime example. The blues are awesome. I love that course. I also have friends who would never play there if it weren't for the reds (which are mostly boring). They also love that course. So more people love the course because more people can enjoy it.

Other Thoughts: Blue Lake is not for beginners. It isn't for intermediate players either. Even advanced players are going to throw over par. This is a pro course. As such, it does exactly what it sets out to do. It challenges elite players who are better than you are, and completely mutilates anyone else. You won't find families or "chuckers" playing here. You'll only find serious players or gluttons for punishment (like me).

I played in the winter, but the rough was very forgiving. I've seen footage from Worlds and heard plenty of complaint about it in the summer, but in December at least it wasn't bad at all. Just the occasional blackberry branch scattered through rather short grass. I hope the park uses some sponsor money or parking fee money to keep that trimmed back next spring. Otherwise it's a tossup: Do you want to deal with fierce winter winds or fierce summer thorns?

I'm conflicted about this course. It isn't necessarily fun. It beats you over the head over and over again until you're wondering how much you can get for all of your discs and your bag on Craigslist. But every now and then you hit that perfect drive that lands just fair and follow that up with a long suicide putt right into the chains, and it keeps you coming back. Or, more realistically, you crush a perfect drive that lands just OB, throw your next shot from where your last one crossed into OB (15' from where you threw the first one) and watch the wind take THAT shot OB. Then you throw that suicide putt from the edge of OB and watch the wind rip that into a slough. After all of that, you want to play again because you want to improve. You want to beat this course that just manhandled you. So you come back again. And again. And you walk away a better player (and probably a better person for having survived that abuse).

Pros: This course is designed to be a challenge for those that can drive more than 300 feet. That said...

For those that drive less than 300 feet, it's really challenging. It really forces you to work on your distance and since I enjoy working on my game I consider this to be a pro for this course.

It's laid out well with the land that was used. The area is mostly flat but the pins are thoughtfully placed in order to change up the approach and angle.

The biggest challenge on this course is the excessive amounts of OB. And if there's no OB there's usually an obstacle (like a steep ravine) that will render the disc lost. This was both a pro and con for me. Considering the flatness of the land it did make all the shots interesting. But it also added a layer of frustration to the game.

The course is well-groomed. The brush is clearly kept trimmed back, keeping the fairways clean for play.

All the tees are concrete and every hole is mapped out, which are major pluses for me. The baskets are also a nice quality and, since the World's tournament, practically brand new looking.

Cons: To me, the OB on this course is just ridiculous. It's one thing to have the OB markings. But the actual land that comprises the OB consists of thorny bushes and ravines. So even if your disc lands just five feet into an OB area you're forced to risk a layer of leg skin trying to retrieve it.

Overall there was just this extreme sense of risk and reward on the course. You're ecstatic if your disc doesn't go OB but the excitement stems more from not having to trek through the thorns rather than making a good shot.

This course is also long. Like really, really long. Again, as someone who can't throw over 300 feet I felt this aspect acutely. There are several holes than are 700+ feet and are listed as a par 3 or 4. Really? And that was 700 feet from the short tees.

It's just not a friendly or relaxing course if you don't meet the specs.

Other Thoughts: I disc golf regularly (like at least once a weekend for years) and this was possibly the most physically challenging course I've ever played. I've been on courses that have required intense hikes but this was the first time where my throwing arm/shoulder started to just give out after awhile.

NOT recommended for novice players. And if you're an intermediate player beware.

Pros: Blue Lake is a Championship Level course that will test your ability to throw long, accurate shots. It requires good course management. The key to good scores at Blue Lake is to avoid going OB on the stake lined fairways. This course is located in an extra large Regional Park in Fairview.

I have had the opportunity to play Blue Lake on several visits to Portland over the past year. I have played the Blue Lake Short Course during the 2013 Women's Championships and for the 2014 Pro Worlds. I have also played the long tees and most alternate pin placements.

I used bullet points for those that don't want to read the entire review.

It's a big one!
This Par 68 course is a 10,400 foot monster. That is nearly two miles of disc golf and doesn't include the walks between tees. All the other reviews cover this so I will agree and focus on other topics.

Disc Golf Exclusive
Covers acres and acres of Blue Lake Park and yet only takes up a small corner of this giant regional park. The area is dedicated to disc golf and you don't have to worry about picnickers or dog walkers. This exclusive use adds to the experience. It is nice to have such a large area of the park all for disc golf.

Par 62, Short Course

There is a short course map with distances from the 2014 Pro Worlds in the links/files.

The 7,823 Foot, Par 62 Short course is a combination of alternate pin placements and temporary short tees. The giant dogleg 5 has a short tee that removes that from play. This short tee location should be permanent for players that don't want to risk losing discs in the rough on the first part of the hole. Hole 7 combines a short tee to a short pin. The short tees on Holes 14 and 17b are very appropriate. The short tee on 16 is in front of the giant rosehip bush/tree taking this disc-eating monstrosity out of play. The short tee on 17 starts beyond the initial choke point, making the hole much more enjoyable.

Short Tees.
The short tees are still challenging for experienced players and would provide newer players with less punishing alternatives. This drops the course to only 7,200 feet. The first short tee is on Dogleg Hole 5 taking it from 590 to 295 and removing 300 feet of unforgiving red stake fairway. There is still a big choke point next to the well pump hill and a lot of OB stillin play, so this is not an easy shot. The short 17 tee takes a lot of the giant blackberry clusters out of play. It is still quite a challenge to get to the pin through all the trees on one of the only wooded fairways here.

Alternate Pin Placements
The alternate pins are thoughtful and make this monster course a little shorter and more enjoyable for the average player. The alternate placements (and tees) are shown in the short course map from the 2014 Pro Worlds. The short placement on Hole 7 removes having to cross over the OB ditch attempt the anthill basket placement. At Pro Worlds 2014, there were alternate pins on Holes 3, 7, 11, 13, 15 and 18.

No new players
Please avoid this park if you are new to disc golf. Until you can be certain you have some control over the flight of your discs and honestly understand how to throw accurate shots to specific landing areas, don't play here. The chances of ending up in OB rough and losing discs will suck out the enjoyment factor. Avoid playing here if you only have one disc. If you lose it, you won't be able to finish the round. Pier Park is perfect for first time disc golfers and 20 minutes away down Marine Drive. Pier is also FREE to play. Again, if you are a brand new player this will not be enjoyable if you do not have complete control of your disc.

Blackberries
Yummy! The blackberries were abundant and perfectly ripe for Pro Worlds 2014. Apparently there were great yields from recent rainfall;. It was an awesome treat to stuff my face round after round at Worlds and there were still millions of berries I didn't get to eat. Folks who live around here probably don't think this is as awesome as I do. The blackberries can be very vicious and quickly draw blood from the unsuspecting disc golfer.

Change of Pace
One of the things that is so great about Blue Lake is that it really offers a change of pace from the traditional wooded Northwest disc golf course. Many of the marshland meadow holes are very reminiscent of the flat and wide open "prairie" holes found on many courses in the rest of the US. The first part of the course is much like a typical urban park but a large portion of the holes play in or near the meadows. High winds can come into play. Players of these kinds of courses should have some experience with the high winds and fairways lined with tall grass. To be clear, these fairways are quite ample and not super narrow. They just happen to be lined with a mix of tall grass and thorny berries. They rough is also lined by miles and miles of OB stakes.

Park Entrance Fee
This is a regional park and charges a $5.00 daily fee. This is a full facility park so I don't really see that as a big con. The entry fee helps insure the course stays maintained. and provides restrooms and trash removal. It was in excellent shape for the 2014 Pro Worlds. If there are spots available, you can park on the street by the tee of Hole 8 for free.

All 18 in a row.
Once you leave the parking lot, you don't return until after Hole 18. This is a big course plus you cover some extra ground walking to the next tee. There is no water available on the course, so be prepared and bring along what you need. You could play a shorter loop by heading to Hole 13 Tee after Hole 8. However, 14 through 17 are the longest and most exposed holes on the course, so don't really think of this as a "short" cut.

Send out a spotter
Keep your eyes on your throws and send out a spotter if you are at least a threesome. The player who had the highest score on the last hole (and teeing last) should head out and spot on certain holes. The extra long grass all looks the same from the tee, a spotter can at least narrow down the search area. This will help prevent lost discs for you and speed up play for all the other players on the course.

Navigation
It is easy enough to follow along by paying attention to the tee signs. I would recommend using a map your first time or playing with someone who has played before.

Bring Bright Discs
Avoid losing discs and bring brightly colored discs. Throwing into the staked OB is a fact of life for those playing Blue Lake. Choose bright colors, so that when you go into the rough, the discs are easier to find. Hot Pink and Neon Orange are two great colors that are easy to spot even in the deep rough. Avoid the color of the grass which ranges from green to tan.

Plan enough time
It takes at least three hours to play a round here. By the time you walk the entire 10,400 feet 18 hole monster you will cover at least two miles. That doesn't really count time looking for lost discs. It takes even more time if you have to wait in line to get in the park.

Kids and Strollers.
This place is super level and super grassy. It is probably too long for young kids to walk, but they could certainly ride along. There are no restrooms once you leave the parking area and you don't return until after you play all 18 holes. It takes at least three hours to complete for adults. There is no water on the course so Prepare accordingly. While disc golf here may not be that kid friendly, there are lots of other great activities for kids and families in the park, including playgrounds and Blue Lake.

Facilities
The only restroom facilities are in the parking area near the first tee. These had running water and were in good shape. There were ample opportunities to find privacy during the round. On my last visit, there was also a portable restroom on the street by Tee 8 and Tee 16. Not sure if these are permanent locations.

Cons: Flat, Long and eventually repetitive.
In addition to lots of super long holes, the course does not offer any elevation changes. It is located among wetlands right next to Columbia River. There are some unique and challenging holes, but after a while, you are just throwing as far as you possibly can and trying not to land in the OB areas. Sometime you get to do this in high winds! Hole 14 - 17 are flat, giant stake lined fairways of 910, 815, 800, 950 all in a row. Even if you don't play the stakes as OB, it can be brutal to just find your disc.

No Permanent Short Tees
This course needs concrete tees for all the short tees. If additional concrete tees are not an option, an improvement would be to install some wooden boards to mark the front of the tees. The short tees are still challenging for experienced players and would provide newer players with less punishing alternatives. This drops the course to only 7,200 feet.

Long entry lines on weekends
Cars really do back up to enter the park on weekends. I thought folks were exaggerating about this inconvenience, but unfortunately it is true. Avoid lines by getting here early. The lines are not for the disc golf, but for all the other activities going on at this super large park.

Blackberries and Rosehips
While blackberries are awesome to eat fresh off the vine, blackberries are the devil when they line disc golf fairways. These plants can tear you to shreds instantly and some are impenetrable. I have never, ever seen blackberry bushes/colonies the size of a two car garage! If your disc lands in one of these, think twice before you attempt to retrieve.

Missing in Action
Lost discs are a distinct possibility for those that stray too far off the fairways or have the rotten luck to land in a mature blackberry patch. The water level in the ditches and drainage areas can provide even more opportunities to lose discs. Watch where you are throwing and have someone in your group go up and spot to save time and speed up play. For this reason, this course is not recommended for new players or those with only one or two discs.

Facilities
The only restroom facilities with running water are in the parking area near the first tee. I suppose it is better than no restroom at all. There were ample opportunities to find privacy. There were portables on 8 and 16 on my last visit.

Park Entrance Fee
Some consider this a negative; I thought the daily fee was worth it. It is a well maintained park and the disc golf area is exclusive. If you really don't want to pay the daily entrance fee you can park on the street by Hole 8 tee for free. Unlike the State Parks this daily pass cannot be used in other parks because this is a Fairview Regional Park.

Poison Oak
Apparently there may be poison oak on the course. If you are afflicted, take precautions.

Other Thoughts: Videos
There are a lot of videos from the 2014 Pro World Disc Golf Championships on YouTube. This will give you a chance to see it before you play it, or at least see how the top pros play this course. Watch the Semi-Final and Final Rounds for the Blue Lake action and be sure to catch the amazing sudden death playoff. Compare your scores to the top pros from 2014 Pro Worlds: http://www.pdga.com/tour/event/16386

TOURIST INFO

Columbia River Gorge Disc Golf Road Trip
Portland is the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge. When I land in Portland I always stop at Blue Lake first because it is so close to the airport and I can play a round while waiting to check into the hotel. I did an awesome disc golf road trip playing the courses up the gorge from Portland to The Dalles. I played 10 courses, from Pier Park to Tree Tops. The trip also included other epic Oregon courses.

Marine Park Drive
If you are a visitor to the area and you don't have time to do the Columbia Gorge, Marine drive is a great way to approach and leave the park. Marine Drive is along the southern banks of the Columbia River. It provides awesome views of the Columbia river and is the gateway to the gorge. It also passes right next to the runways at the PDX airport. It is fun to see the jets up close. This park is only 15 minutes from the PDX airport. Pier Park is another 10 minutes down the same road.

North Portland Hotels
I enjoyed staying at the Best Western Cascade Inn and Suites in Troutdale. It is only five minutes away from the course on 1-84. I have also stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Jantzen Beach. HI Express is on Hayden Island in the middle of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington on I-5. Both hotels offered free breakfast, indoor pool and spa and were right of the main freeways. The Cascade Inn is also super close to Dabney State Park. It is a great hotel if you also plan to play other courses along the Columbia River Gorge. The hotels next to the airport also looked nice and fairly new. If you don't mind jet noises, these seemed reasonably priced and are only minutes away from Blue Lake. Staying close by removes having to drive in the sucky Portland freeway traffic.

RATING
This is absolutely a 5 Star Championship level course worthy of hosting the 2014 Pro Worlds Finals. This course would absolutely receive a 5 Disc rating if it had permanently marked short tees. It provides a great challenge for the top pros and an amazingly difficult challenge for skilled players. I rate Blue Lake a 4.5 must- play course for serious disc golfers that want a unique challenge.

Pros:
-Blue Lake has excellent signage, they're well built and look great.

-Every hole has a bench at the tee which is nice since it's such a long course.

-There is pretty nice kiosk with a map of the course including all the pars and distances.

-The OB is marked really well with red wooden stakes at the edge of the fairways.

-The fairways are kept mowed, however if you're not in the fairway it's very rough.

-The park has lots of parking.

-Many holes have a risk/reward element.

-Long mostly open holes for those of you who really like to throw those power shots, this is the place for you.

Cons:
-This course has some of the roughest rough I've ever experienced. Thorns, bushes, trees and tall grass are waiting just off of every fairway. I have left several discs in the thick rough after looking hard and only finding bloody shins and pricked fingers. Its so frustrating it's not even worth my time/plastic.

-First timers may have a hard time finding their way from basket to box in a few spots. The course could use some 'next tee' signs.

-I'm not a fan of this type of course, wide open and long may be fun for some people but I much prefer tighter technical holes.

Other Thoughts:
-The line of cars to get into the parking lot on the weekends can get very long - come earlier on weekends to avoid this or come during the week.

-This course was built in the wetlands, if you're planning on playing in the heat bring lots of water.

Pros:
Friendly locals, Large grippy tee pads, Great tee signs, Nice DISCatcher baskets, Kiosk, Good use of OB, Well maintained/Clean, Benches on every hole, Risk/Reward opportunities and Challenging for any caliber of player.

Cons: $5 fee to park, No practice basket, No water, Crowded at times, No alcohol, one restroom centrally located on the course and the ROUGH

Other Thoughts: Street parking near hole #8 is FREE! This area originally slated for a ball golf course instead designed into a disc golf course giving it the 10,000 ft in length. The course is challenging with the length of holes compounded with windy conditions at times and OB placed throughout and a gnarly rough. It is not a beginner friendly course and advice all players to simply keep an eye on your disc. The rough will cut you up and leave you with swelling and itching let alone spending time looking for discs instead of playing disc. I have seen the police make people empty out their beer cans since there is no alcohol and smoking allowed in the park, please respect the rules.
Like others have mentioned the course length is challenging enough let alone the OB. I don't have a big arm, my drives avg. 300- 330ft. I have lost many drivers in the rough here with not a single return or call back. I have learned that choosing to throw a midrange (ROC) has lowered my scores and helped from losing any plastic.
The course has enough space to add shorter tee pads and multiple pin placements for all holes, but for now only holes #17 &18 have multiple pin placements.

Pros: Located in Blue Lake Regional park, this is probably Portlands busiest park, great use of land.

-Challenging shots, with the combo of length and well placed OB you really have to think your way through a round here, there might only be a few throws you can just try to bomb and not worry too much about where they land.

-Roller friendly, I love throwing backhand rollers, and this course offers multiple opportunities to use it.

-Tee Pads/Signage, the pads are well maintained and the signage is super useful. If you pay attention to the signs it is very easy to navigate this course.

-Benches, just about every pad has a bench behind it.

-Crowd, as with most portland courses my experience is almost all of the dg'ers out here are friendly and helpful, ive even had random folks from the group infront and behind jump in to try and help find lost discs.

Cons: -Line at the gate! It costs $5 to park, which is not horrible and I have a year pass anyway so no biggie there, BUT if you get to the park between ~9 and noon on a weekend you will often find a LONG line of cars waiting to get in and pay, be prepared to wait.

-Punishing rough, plastic wasteland, currently the rough isnt horrible (end of summer) but even now it is frustratingly easy to lose a disc even on a mostly well-thrown shot.

-Speaking of rough the blackberries are vicious out there, the thorns will tear and cut up your legs, ive found a number of discs that I think a few people just said F' it to rather than trying to get into the rough.

-Bee's/hornets, especially on 16-17 be careful before wading to far into deep areas, ive seen more than one person get stung.

Other Thoughts: This is a course I only want to play every once in a while, and at that with a minimum group of 2 other people for disc finding purposes. On the other hand it greatly challenges me to lengthen my throws and be WAY more accurate than I normally would have to be.

Overall a positive experience but with alot of potential to be a downer of a round.

Pros: I'm going to try and add my own feelings and thoughts on this course without saying what's already been said in previous reviews too much as we all know by now that it's long, has tall grass/thick rough (I call a pro for about 80% of the course) and was designed by Dave Feldberg. So here we go.

There are some holes here that are not obviously figured out right away which is a good thing. You play the hole and after you think about a new line to take or a different shot or approach all together. The long grass that is used as out of bounds on some holes is a psychological obstacle as well as a physical one. I like the way the course is broken up in a sense in that you get a par three then a par four then a par three again and then a part five, etc. Not many people factor this into the difficulty of course as it it keeps you from getting into a groove and makes you unbalanced just like when a pitcher in a baseball game changes speed by throwing fastballs and then curve balls. The course is also hard because you think it's hard and you play the course as a long course and try to do too much and over throw your disc when a controlled 300 foot mid range throw will be better for you score.

I really like the concrete pads, tee signs and baskets although I believe it would be better if the hole number were painted on the basket to ease with confusion. There were signs saying there was a trash can every three holes and it looks like the players are keeping the trash in those bins at least so far let's hope they keep that up.

Cons: I'm a little confused as I kept hearing that this was a course to challenge the gold and top tier players but the par for the course (69) is designed much more for a player of my caliber (900 rated) or even lower. On some of the par four holes I was making two average or even below average throws and finding myself putting for birdie, I feel like some of these holes are either too long or too short for my skill level to be challenged so I can play the hole 100 times and have the same score maybe 95% of the time which makes it a boring hole for me. A good example would be hole one where I make two easy throws and can get a three no sweat but I'll never get a birdie because I can't throw 450 feet in one throw. A top level player however can throw that far but it's more of a par three hole for them. Lots of "tweener" holes. I guess I'm saying that this course isn't designed for me so why is the par designed for me?

There are a couple holes that use the long grass effectively as a nuisance and/or an out of bounds area but there are still a couple of blind throws over the long grass to a raised position or dogleg that makes tracking where you threw too more than a little difficult.

A few holes (especially the long open ones) felt like someone said something to the effect of "Let's put the tee pad here and the basket way down there, and that hole is done". Like there wasn't more of a consideration of what different lines and ways to play it and what makes a good length for the par they were going for.

I got a little confused on some parts of the course and it seemed to flow strange in parts taking me back to the fairways and and tee pads I had played already and hadn't played yet. The tee pad for six is right near the basket for four and I found it a little crazy walking back 800 feet for hole five just to play back to where I just was. I think if this were my home course I would skip hole five most days.

Other Thoughts: As always Oregon parks are charging $5 to get in and I'm not sure if there is an annual pass or not. I think I had very high expectations going in being that Dave Feldberg was involved in this project so I believe my disappointment is showing through along with my thoughts. If you like more open holes and length I think you will like this course quite a bit but for my money I like a more wooded challenge instead of just outright chucking your disc all over hells half acre. I would be very interested in seeing the scores of the top tier players during a tournament here.

Pros: Knowing ahead of time that this course was going to be way out of my comfort zone, I was mentally prepared to not enjoy it. But I found some design features here that really qualify this as a unique disc golf experience. The unfortunate part of this experience is us less gifted players just don't have the physical attributes (distance and accuracy) it takes to real appreciate and test our-selves here. Spending precious amounts of time hunting for lost discs in razor sharp rough isn't anyone's idea of enjoyment.

The course starts out with clearly marked course and parking signs. There is ample parking across the street. A course map is posted at the the beginning on the kiosk. Blue Lake features the ABSOLUTE BEST Tee Signs EVER. Firstly, they are a very pretty blue with great information, but more importantly they are totally vandal proof, small concrete pillars (roughly two ft. tall) with the hole sign, map, etc. bolted onto ( actually slightly into) the pillar. If the sign gets painted or trashed, it can get simply be unbolted and replaced. This had to be costly but worth every penny.

The course is an unworldly long 10,000 feet but features a couple of most interesting holes such as # 3, where the really skilled player has to really shape his shot and be thinking a shot or two ahead. It would be fun to watch the top players attack these holes. It was comical to watch me butcher them.

Other holes force players to decide whether to "go for it" by throwing over the OB tall grass or play safe by laying up around the sides. Once again, players with more normal arms or accuracy issues don't always have these options.

I thought # 9 was a most interesting hole. It's a 400' Par 3 where you're teeing off through a tunnel of trees with the tiniest of gaps. It's only about 7 wide at it's most narrow point and then the basket is nestled into a grove of small trees.

I was glad to see a few fairways have been widened and some rough has been cleared and narrowed somewhat.

Cons: The length of course is daunting to all but the most advanced players. As I was leaving, I saw a young lady attempting to take on the course with one of the huge old Whamo freestyle frisbees. Good luck with that, young lady! I'll take Blue Lake and give the strokes on that match-up for a $100 please.

The rough features some of the gnarliest, most hostile, most un-penetrable mix of thorns and berries and other prickly plants I've ever had the misfortune of shedding my precious type O blood with.

I love natural scenic beauty on my courses. It's why I hold Whistler's Bend in such high esteem and others such as Pier Park, LL Stub Stewart and Dexter. They're all such naturally lovely places to enjoy. Blue Lake is just OK. It has no elevation to speak of. No water. I like it better than downtown Portland or the Tucson desert.

Other Thoughts: Mr. Feldberg and the other designers certainly put together a course to challenge the upper level players. They accomplished that with a unique design featuring holes one doesn't encounter on many courses. I applaud their efforts for that. I wish they could have built some beginner tees for us and maybe the thorny plants will be taken care of in time. My hands, arms and legs would appreciate the efforts of anyone who helps.

Pros: Championship course. With exception of hole #17 which stunk. Fairways are nice right now. Players that can throw long and tight will do well here. If you are not consistent and curve here and there this course will give you a major challenge...see cons. Couple of bathrooms located throughout course and a few trash receptacles. Very good parking, nice sign at the beginning---take a picture on your cell you might need it to find your way around...it works. Mostly out in a meadow (could get windy) but there are some holes that have stands of small pole type trees that give you a different feel and a different type throw or approach or putt. Most of the trees are big maples/oaks.

Cons: Did I say hole #17 stunk? 17 looks like it's under construction...grass is no were to be seen but there is some poison hemlock (sign posted) on the right in the first 100 feet from the tee pad. It is one of 3 900 foot holes but this one plays longer. If your a beginner and don't mind a large score AND a lot of time looking for your disc in very tall grass (2-3foot) which oh by the way is OB and has signs saying KEEP OUT...which no one pays attention to. If your disc is heading to one of the tall grass areas pay attention to landmarks taller blackberrys or other sticker type weeds) that might help you in your search...it is challenging to say the least. So I guess this isn't a con if you are a major thrower...not a weekender or amateur.

Other Thoughts: I shot an 18 over the first time and then I played a few more holes and started bringing that number down. I'm looking forward to playing here again whenever I'm in Fairview/Portland area. ONE thing that would make this course more open to all would be another set of pads for maybe a 7000 foot course instead of 10500, ouch that's long! I like one review where the player said it reminded him of a ball type golf course...I totally agree. I felt that way right from the start. FORE!